Finland has been named the world's happiest country for nine consecutive years, yet its food culture remains among the least known. That changes this September. Visit Finland is launching Finland's Official Tasting Table, two immersive, four-day culinary experiences in the Coast & Archipelago and Lapland regions, each designed by a top Finnish chef. Applications are now open, and only 16 seats are available.
Finland has held the title of the world's happiest country for nine consecutive years, according to the UN World Happiness Report. Everyone has an opinion on why: the saunas, the forests, the cultural relationship with silence, and the education system. What almost nobody talks about is the food. That is about to change. Visit Finland has just launched Finland's Official Tasting Table, the country's first-ever curated national culinary experience open to international visitors. The four-day programme takes place in September 2026 at some of the country's most stunning locations, hosted by the Finns behind the food and designed to introduce Finnish cuisine to the world.
The initiative is refreshingly straightforward in its premise. Anyone can apply at HaveSomeFinnish.com for the chance to be selected as one of 16 guests across two exclusive tastings, taking place in the Coast & Archipelago region and Lapland. It is an open invitation from a country that, by most measures, already has a lot going for it, but knows that its culinary story has remained largely untold.
Why Finnish food is finally having its moment
While Finland has long been celebrated for its happiness, its food culture has remained one of its best-kept secrets. That is partly a matter of visibility. Italian, Japanese and other Nordic cuisines have all carved out significant global reputations. Finnish cooking has largely stayed at home. The ingredients are exceptional: wild game, fresh Arctic fish, foraged mushrooms, herbs and seasonal produce, shaped by one of the world's most extreme natural environments. Yet the cuisine itself has rarely been given a stage.
"Finland is your chance to discover the final great secret of the world's culinary cultures," said Heli Jimenez, Senior Director of International Marketing at Business Finland. "In an era where foodies are constantly searching for the next big thing, Finland is exactly that: pure ingredients from local nature, like wild game and fresh fish, and unpretentious, simple recipes."
The framing is not accidental. Finnish cuisine sits at the intersection of things serious food travellers increasingly value: hyper-local sourcing, seasonal integrity, and a cooking philosophy rooted in place rather than trend.
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How the menus were built
To find the roots of Finland's culinary story, Visit Finland asked everyday Finns, from locals to fishermen, farmers and cooks, to share what their region truly tastes like. Thousands of answers were received, and the country's top chefs then transformed them into Finland's official tasting menus.
The result is two distinct regional menus, each shaped by the landscape and the people who live and work within it. One unfolds on the coast; the other at the edge of the Arctic. Both are designed as full sensory experiences where setting, story and flavour are inseparable.
"Finnish food is a direct expression of the world's happiest lifestyle: rooted in nature, simplicity, and a deep connection to where ingredients come from. From sauna food rituals to foraging, Finnish cuisine tells a story that exists nowhere else," Jimenez explains.
The chefs behind the experience
The two chefs chosen to lead the Official Tasting menus bring serious credentials to the table.
Erik Mansikka, Coast & Archipelago
Erik Mansikka was awarded the Finnish Chef of the Year title in 2013, and his approach reflects a consistent focus on seasonality, precision, and a deep respect for the ingredients he works with. He is the founder of Restaurant Kaskis in Turku, which has become one of Finland's most celebrated dining destinations. Kaskis holds a Michelin star for high-quality cooking, with Chef Mansikka's surprise tasting menus featuring powerful flavours and a delicate, detailed touch; ingredients are foraged or sourced from local farmers, fishermen and hunters. In 2025, Kaskis was also awarded a Michelin Green Star for its mindful approach to gastronomy. The restaurant's Michelin star was notable when it was awarded in 2022, marking the first such recognition in Finland outside the capital, Helsinki.
Joel Manninen, Lapland
Chef Joel Manninen represents a new generation of Finnish culinary talent. He gained national recognition after winning the Finnish Young Chefs Championship in 2025, and further established his international standing with a silver medal at the Young Chefs World Championship in 2026, organized by the prestigious gastronomic association Chaîne des Rôtisseurs.
Sky Kitchen & View, where Manninen serves as Head Chef, was chosen again in 2026 for Finland's top 50 restaurants list, ranking 23rd. The restaurant sits atop Ounasvaara fell in Rovaniemi, within Lapland Hotels Sky Ounasvaara, and is widely considered one of the finest dining experiences in the country. Manninen's cooking focuses on northern ingredients and a modern Arctic sensibility, where technical skill meets a clear personal vision shaped by the landscape around him.
What the experience actually involves
The Official Tasting is a curated, multi-day journey, not just a single dinner. If selected, guests receive a fully funded four-day trip to either Lapland or the Coast and Archipelago, including activities, accommodation and a multi-course tasting dinner created by an acclaimed Finnish chef. The experience is conducted entirely in English.
The key details are as follows:
- Two tastings taking place in September 2026; one in the Coast & Archipelago region, one in Lapland
- Eight participants selected per tasting, for a total of 16 guests
- Applications open 18 May and close 9 June 2026, at 11:59 AM Finnish time (EEST)
- Selected participants announced on 29 June 2026
- Applicants can apply alone or with one companion (both must be at least 18 years old)
How to apply
To apply, post a video on Instagram or TikTok introducing yourself and answering the question: "Why do you want to have some Finnish?" Use the hashtag #HaveSomeFinnish and tag Visit Finland (@ourfinland on Instagram or @visitfinland.com on TikTok), then complete the sign-up form on the campaign site.
The full application is available at HaveSomeFinnish.com.
Where Finnish happiness actually lives
For food travellers who have already worked their way through the well-documented Nordic dining scenes in Copenhagen and Stockholm, Finland represents something genuinely different. The culinary tradition here has not been polished for export. It is still recognizably local, shaped by climate and geography in ways that set it apart from anything else in the region.
The Official Tasting is a rare opportunity to experience that on its own terms, in the landscapes that produced it, guided by the chefs who understand it most deeply. Whether the draw is the Arctic light of Lapland, the salt air of the archipelago, or simply the chance to sit at a table that almost no one has sat at before, the experience is as singular as the country behind it.
The window to apply is short. Applications close 9 June. For anyone who has been waiting for a reason to finally discover Finland, this is a persuasive one.
